A total of 251 food handlers in the Upper West Region have been diagnosed with health conditions that render them unfit to handle food, raising concerns about public health and food safety in the region.
The figure was contained in a regional sanitation situation report and was based on health screenings conducted among food handlers in 2025 and 2026.
The report was presented by Agambire Alhassan Inusah, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Upper West Regional Environmental Health and Sanitation Department (EHSD), during the second-quarter meeting of the Upper West Regional Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee on Sanitation (RICCS) in Wa.
According to the report, 538 food handlers were screened in 2025, while 1,208 underwent screening between January and May 2026.
Mr Inusah disclosed that the affected individuals had been referred to health facilities for treatment.
He added that the department had intensified food safety and sanitation interventions across the region, including inspections of food and beverage vendors as well as the prosecution of sanitation offenders.
The report indicated that 3,425 premises were inspected in 2025, while 4,821 premises were inspected between January and May 2026.
Similarly, inspections of food and drink establishments increased from 742 in 2025 to 891 within the first five months of 2026.
On meat safety, Mr Inusah said 3,928 animals slaughtered during the review period were inspected by the department in collaboration with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Veterinary Services Department.
Out of the total, 3,873 carcasses were certified fit for human consumption, while four were totally condemned and 51 partially condemned due to health concerns.
Providing updates on the Open Defecation Free (ODF) campaign, Mr Inusah said three communities attained ODF status in 2025, comprising two in the Lambussie District and one in the Sissala West District.
He added that 15 more communities achieved ODF status between January and May 2026, including nine in the Nandom District and six in the Lambussie District.
On sanitation law enforcement, he said the Wa Municipal Assembly prosecuted four sanitation-related cases during the review period and imposed fines on offenders as part of efforts to improve environmental sanitation.
Despite the gains made, Mr Inusah noted that inadequate staffing remained a major challenge affecting effective service delivery across the region.
Reacting to the report, the Upper West Regional Director of the EHSD, Madam Freda Naatu, said it had in some cases been difficult to prevent affected individuals from continuing to handle food despite being declared medically unfit.
She announced plans to introduce sanitation league tables for schools and zonal councils to assess performance, reward high-performing institutions and “name and shame” underperforming ones as part of efforts to improve sanitation standards in the region.
